Archive for May, 2015

Texture is one of the most overlooked aspects of home decor. DIY decorating gals rule the roost when it comes to following advice about color, furniture arrangement, accessorizing, etc. But, most people don’t give the idea of texture enough consideration. Yet, it is very important! Why? Because texture helps influence mood, comfort, and visual interest. It is often the detail that draws you into a room to inspect it a little more closely. You ask yourself, “Is that faux fur bed throw as soft as it looks?” Or, “Are those granite countertops as smooth and glossy as they seem?” Then you move closer to find out. Texture is a very exciting element of décor because it is so detailed and intriguing.

There are two approaches to texture. One is to work with elements that have permanence and a lasting impact on the room. For example, wood floors, stone tiles, and wallpaper. If you own your home and you have the autonomy to go big, we recommend starting with changes such as these. The second approach is to rely on temporary or intermittent decorative items – things that you can easily remove when it’s time to do so.

If you wish to make large-scale changes, such as new flooring, your next step is to connect with an expert and seek help and design guidance. We are happy to help you start on this path.

On the other hand, if you want to make small, easy changes, here are a few simple ways to incorporate texture into your design scheme.

Natural sources: An easy and lovely way to enjoy texture – candles and plants!

Paint: Create depth by working with multiple shades of the same color, rather than a hodge-podge of different colors.

Wall art: Avoid flat framed items, and try 3D art pieces. For example, box frames that allow space to set thing in them. Rather than hang a framed photo, set it inside a box frame hung on the wall. Same photo, different textural aspect due to depth.

Lighting: Add small light sources to the room to enhance light and shadow. So, a boutique mini-lamp or a moody sconce.

Accessories: An obvious suggestion. Use plenty of unique and visually interesting pieces such as vases, decorative balls, and so forth.

Blankets and throws: The trick here is to be less concerned with function and more concerned with touch. Add more than one. Try a knit blanket, a chenille throw, and a traditional quilt.

Okay, of all of our ideas for making your bathroom your favorite room in the house, this one might sound a little crazy at first, especially because the rest of our advice focused heavily on beauty, comfort, and luxury! Who wants to work in that environment? But here’s the thing. More than ever before we are a multi-tasking society, and being able to accomplish things from just about anywhere is a big plus. Here are few things we think you might actually find super convenient and helpful in the bathroom.

Incorporate a speaker system for hands free communication on your cell phone. Think about how much time it takes to get dressed and do your hair and makeup. Imagine if you could be making and returning important phone calls at the same time. By the time you leave the house all of those calls are done and out of the way! Next, consider a small table/desk space for your laptop. Again, while you’re getting ready for the day you can work on small tasks. For example, if you run social networking accounts you can be Liking and sharing with one hand while the other hand holds a curl in your curling iron. Or, wouldn’t it be great to blaze through a bunch of emails while you’re doing your hair?

Having your laptop nearby also allows you to watch and/or listen to videos. Perhaps they are inspirational, or makeup tutorials or even training videos your employer requires you to watch. Take care of all of your video time in the morning or at night. We do suggest, though, that you might want to consider a small, rolling, easel-style desk because bending over constantly to use your laptop can result in some back fatigue. It’s best if it’s standing height, or if you have a chair in the bathroom (as we previously suggested) you’ll be able to set the laptop on a counter and use it that way strain-free.

Last but not least, you might want to go big and include a TV in your bathroom. You can watch the news or your favorite morning show while you’re getting ready for the day, and then indulge in a movie or TV show binge while you take a bath in the evening. A TV in the bathroom might sound a little extravagant, but it’s worth it!

That wraps up our six-part series about unique ways to make your bathroom your favorite room in the house. Leave us a comment and share some other fabulous ideas you’ve encountered!

Another way to create a bathroom you love is by transforming it into a beauty oasis, rather just a place to wash your face and brush your teeth. How so? Make your environment feel like it is fit for a beauty queen by incorporating all of your luxury products as well as few glamorous details.

Typically we tend to cram makeup and hair products into cabinets, or we store our nail and skin products in drawers. Sure, you might use a couple of organizational methods to try to keep things sane inside those cabinets and drawers, but when it comes time to use the products digging them all out feels like annoying chore.

Rather than hide your expensive lotions and potions display them! Install pretty shelves near the sink area and create an interesting decorative arrangement with the jars and bottles and a few artsy accessories. Make sure, though, to only display containers that feature packaging that is attractive and coordinates well with the design scheme of your bathroom. Not only will this add glamour, you’re also much more likely to use and enjoy them consistently because they are within arm’s reach.

Next, install a few fixtures that will add light, privacy, and make you feel pretty. If there’s a window in your bathroom, hang a sheer, white curtain. You’ll be able to open the window and the shade while keeping the room private, and the soft diffused light works really well for some beauty routines.

Speaking of light, consider installing old-school Hollywood lights like the movie stars had in their dressing rooms. Pow, instant glam and plenty of light for doing your makeup! If you have space you can also include a chandelier in the room just to up the fancy factor. To make the room feel extra special and luxurious trade out the standard hardware for nicer stuff. Get rid of those stock towel racks, for instance, and replace them with well designed towel bars. Don’t use them for your day to day towels though. Hang beautiful decorator towels and leave them alone so they stay nice!

Last but not least, achieve a sense of beauty and luxury in the bathroom by keeping a very glamorous robe and slippers nearby!

Once you’ve incorporated a few spa elements, the next step to making your bathroom your favorite room in the house is to make it really comfy. Comfort is key to any room in a house that you want to call your favorite, but it’s not always the first thing that comes to mind when designing a bathroom. We tend to overshadow comfort in favor of function.

To change that, think about texture and temperature! First, if you can afford a heat system in your bathroom, incorporate one. Stepping in or out of a bathroom that is perfectly warm is so lovely. If you can’t have a built in system, a space heater will work really well too. Just don’t put it close to water sources as a safety precaution. Second, invest in cushy, fluffy rugs. Happy feet make for a happy body and feet love soft textures. Third, if you have enough space consider including a comfortable chair. How many times have you traipsed back and forth between the bathroom and the bedroom so you can sit on the bed to put on lotion or get dressed? Or, how many times have your feet started hurting because it takes seemingly forever to curl your hair? With a chair in the bathroom you can comfortably do all of these tasks. You’ll be surprised by how often you use it! If you have a really big bathroom you can include other furniture as well. Don’t be afraid to use unusual pieces such as apothecary cabinet to make the room more interesting.

Music

If you are a music fan, an excellent way to personalize your bathroom is to invest in good speakers. Sure, you can play a tinny version of your favorite song on your phone, but that’s not very compelling if you want to adore your master bathroom. Instead, opt for a high quality bluetooth enabled speaker system. Wires and cords are especially pesky in bathrooms so a bluetooth system is ideal, especially if you stream music from a music service. You can stream your tunes via your phone or laptop even if they’re in another room. Then, play whatever music you feel best suits your mood. Maybe motivating music while you get dressed for the gym, or dance music while you get ready to go out for a big night on the town. Even better, play soothing spa sounds, jazz, or classical music while you enjoy a bubble bath.

An important part of transforming your bathroom into your favorite room in the house is to ensure that if feels a little like a retreat. The easiest way to accomplish this is by taking inspiration from your favorite spa. A bathroom that feels like a spa visit is a bathroom you might never want to leave! For this post we are going to focus on bathrooms that have a stand-alone shower that is separate from the bathtub, because they are ideal for this plan. Think of your approach as “float versus function.”

The shower is a great place for all of your skin, detox, hair, and body treatments. The extra steam helps open pores so your treatments are super effective. Stand up showers are perfect for spa-like activities because quick drainage of all or your lotions and potions will make cleanup a breeze. To fully enjoy this, create a kit with all of your body scrubs, mud masks, foot pumice, hair oil treatments, razors, shower gel, hair clips, etc. Use a container that doesn’t require you to cram everything in. If the products are nicely displayed you’re more likely to use them because it seems like less of a hassle. So, opt for a tall corner shelf or a well designed shower hanger caddy. Just outside the shower door stock plenty of towels, place your robe and slippers nearby, and lay down a mat or rug so you don’t slip.

As far as the bathtub is concerned keep the area simple. It’s a place of relaxation so resist the temptation to stack all of your bath stuff around the edges. The clutter won’t feel calming. Instead, just place candles, plants, bubble bath, a bath pillow, and towels near the tub. Store any other products you need in a small container in an organized fashion and store it in a cabinet. Then, when you need it you can pull it out and the area around the tub will remain uncluttered.

Last bit of advice for organizing your bathroom like a spa is to buy multiples if it will make things more convenient. If, for instance, you have a separate bath and shower don’t drive yourself crazy moving a product back and forth. Remember you want it to feel like an oasis, not a hassle. Buy two of things that get frequent use (loofahs, shower gel, etc,) so there’s one of each in the shower and near the bathtub.

Now that you’ve come up with a great to personalize our bathroom by hanging a vision board or inspirational quote, we will move on to goals. You might be wondering why we are now discussing goals, because in Part 1 we discussed inspiration and having a vision. Aren’t goals the same thing? Why hang both in a bathroom?

Because, they are somewhat the same but they are still different. As far as daily exposure the idea is the same as the inspiration elements we just mentioned. If you display your goals in the bathroom you’ll see them at least twice every day! But, we believe goals are a little different from inspiration because they are more task oriented. For example, a vision board is a broad view of your aspirations. Whereas goals are the measurable steps you’ll take to get there.

One really unique way to feature them is using a dry erase marker, the kind usually used on a white board. Skip the white board and use the markers directly on your bathroom mirror. If you want your list to be easily edited this works really well!

Another great way to feature your goals is by printing them on nice cardstock and framing them with a larger piece of cardstock. For this to look nice you must color coordinate it with your bathroom and use good quality paper that gives the display an actual aesthetic. In other words we don’t recommend printing it in a boring font on white paper and tacking it to the wall in an arbitrary place. Make your display seamlessly blend with the rest of the bathroom décor. To do so, print your goals and objectives on a light colored cardstock. (It’s too difficult to read on dark colors, but you can try ink in a coordinating color.)

You don’t have to limit this to just one page. As long as you have enough wall space you can include several documents that vary by theme or purpose. You can find the supplies in the scrapbook section at the craft store. Select 12×12 designer card stock sheets. Then, “frame” the goal 8.5X11 sheet of paper by attaching it to the 12×12 paper. You can use strong glue meant for paper, or staples. We don’t recommend tape of any kind because the bathroom humidity will likely cause it to lose stickiness over time.